Page 258 of 321
258 Practical hintsFlat tireLowering the vehicle
Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until vehicle is resting ful-
ly on its own weight.
Remove the jack.1-5 Wheel bolts
Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of
110 ft lb (150 Nm).
Store jack and tool kit.
Warning!
G
Use only genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. They are identi-
fied by the Mercedes star. Other wheel bolts
may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
tip over.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
110 ft lb (150 Nm).iThe removed road wheel cannot be
stored in the spare wheel carrier or in-
side the storage compartment in the
rear cargo area (ML 55 AMG), but
should be transported in the rear cargo
compartment wrapped in a protective
cover supplied with the vehicle.
The protective cover is located in the
rear cargo compartment behind the
cover in the right side trim panel.
Page 261 of 321
261 Practical hints
Battery
Battery
The battery is located in the engine com-
partment on the right-hand side.
Disconnecting the battery
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Open the hood (
page 202).
Disconnect the battery negative lead.
Remove the cover from the positive ter-
minal.
Disconnect the battery positive lead.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the key is in the steering lock. Other-
wise the alternator and other electronic
components could be severely dam-
aged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Refer to Service Booklet for mainte-
nance intervals or contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for further information.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery
y o u w i l l n o l o n g e r b e a b l e t o t u r n t h e k e y
in the steering lock
the selector lever will remain locked in
positionP
Page 268 of 321
268 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleWarning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the key is in
steering lock position2.
If the key is left in steering lock position0
for an extended period of time, it can no
longer be turned in the switch. In this case,
the steering is locked. To unlock, remove
key from steering lock and reinsert.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the braking and steer-
ing systems. In this case, it is important to
keep in mind that a considerably higher de-
gree of effort is necessary to brake and
steer the vehicle. Adapt your driving accord-
ingly.iTo signal turns while being towed with
hazard warning flasher in use, turn key
in steering lock to position2 and acti-
vate combination switch for left or right
turn signal in usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the haz-
ard warning flasher will operate again.iThe vehicle cannot be started via
tow-start.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, note the following:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the key in steering lock
position2, the vehicle doors lock if the
left front wheel is turning at vehicle
speeds of approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle doors from lock-
ing, deactivate the automatic central
locking (
page 89).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the towing eye. Never at-
tach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to
vehicle chassis, frame or suspension
parts.
Page 269 of 321
269 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Front towing eye
The front towing eye is located on the pas-
senger side below the bumper.
1Towing eyeRear towing eye The rear towing eye is located behind the
right side cover in the bumper panel.
ML 320, ML 350, ML 5001Cover
2Towing eye
To remove cover:
Pry out the cover1 using a flat blade
screwdriver (
page 237).
To reinstall cover:
Engage cover at bottom and press in
top securely.
iThe selector lever will remain locked in
positionP and the key will not turn in
the steering lock if the battery is dis-
connected or discharged. See notes on
the battery (
page 261) or on jump
starting (
page 264).
Manual unlocking of transmission se-
lector lever (page 245)
Warning!
G
In order to avoid possible serious burns or
injury, use extreme caution when removing
the cover, because the rear exhaust pipe is
extremely hot.
Page 321 of 321
Service and Literature
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center has trained technicians and original Mercedes-Benz parts to service your vehicle properly. For
expert advice and quality service, see your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
If your are interested in obtaining service literature for your vehicle, please contact your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
We consider this the best way for you to obtain accurate information for your vehicle.
For further information you can find us on the Mercedes-Benz web-site www.mbusa.com or www.mercedes-benz.ca.
We reserve the right to modify the technical details of the vehicle as given in the data and illustrations of this Operator’s Manual. Re-
printing, translation and copying, even of excerpts, is not permitted without our prior authorization in writing.
Title illustration no. P00.01-2273-31
Press time 09 / 26 / 02
GSP / SIP
Printed in Germany
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury, be extremely careful when performing any service work or repairs. Improper or incomplete service or the use of
incorrect or inappropriate parts or materials may damage the vehicle or its equipment, which may in turn result in personal injury.
If you have any question about carrying out some service, turn to the advice of an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
